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Ryan Diew pitched Trippie on the Season 9 premiere of ABC’s Shark Tank. After the show, Black Enterprise contributor Brandon Andrews sat down with Diew for an interview about the show and his mobile app that helps travelers navigate and find what they need at the airport.

Brandon Andrews: Trippie makes navigating airports easier. Tell us how you came up with the idea.

Ryan Diew: Two years ago, after a long week of finals, I was on a layover in DC headed home to Oakland. I forgot to pack a lunch in the airport so I was pretty hungry. On my layover, I wanted to get food but I had no idea where anything was. I immediately searched the app store for “airport app with airport maps” to see if there was anything out there, but I couldn’t find anything. I had to trust a stranger with my three carry-on bags while I went to find food. It was at this moment I decided to build a solution myself.

Why are you passionate about solving this problem?

I really like that we’re solving a problem that millions of people deal with every day. I really believe Trippie can change the way air travelers spend their time waiting before flights in the airport.